Apparatus for laying walls of building-blocks.



Na. 889,943. PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908.

0. MOL. MADD-UX.

APPARATUS FOR LAYING WALLS 0F BUILDIN G BLOGKS.

APPLICATION FILED P312, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60., WASHINGTON, n. c.

No. 889,943. PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908.

U. McL. MADDUX.

APPARATUS FOR LAYING WALLS OF BUILDING BLOGKS. APPLiOATION FILED FEB. 2. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG. 4. 1 16. .5.

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WITNESSES: INVENT OR i Clargan m mmaaux I, h A

' A TTORNEY H: uamus PETERS co., WISHINCTON, a c.

OLAWSON MCLAIN MADDUX, OF MUNOIE, INDIANA.

APPARATUS FOR LAYING WALLS OF BUILDING-BLOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1908.

Application filed February 2, 1907. Serial No. 355,355.

To, all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLAwsoN MCLAIN MADDUX, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Muncie, in the county of Delaware and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Laying Walls of Building-Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to apparatus for facilitating the laying-up and true alinement of walls and similar structures wherein artificial stone or concrete building blocks are used. In the construction of walls composed of these building blocks great difficulty is experienced in obtaining a uniform evenness and thickness of the layers of mortar which form the horizontal lines of binding material between the successive lines of blocks, and the filling-in between them, of the vertical lines of mortar or binding material.

The building blocks being of a weight greater than may be easily handled by the mechanic who constructs thewall, the Work of laying up the building blocks and obtaining a wall thereof of accurate alinement, is difficult and requires the service of a highly skilled and competent artisan. Thus the manipulation and application to use of the building blocks is necessarily expensive, and when the services of highly skilled workmen are not obtainable, the construction of a wall of true alinement is almost impossible.

The objects of my invention are to provide an apparatus which will be simple in construction, of few parts, easy of manipulation, and economical of manufacture, and by the use whereof walls composed of building blocks, having true alinement, accurate placement of the blocks, and uniformity of mortar jointure, may be accomplished by workmen of only ordinary ability, and that too with greater rapidity and accuracy, than has heretofore been accomplished. These objects are accomplished by the new and ingeniously devised, constructed, and combined implements and parts described in this specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

Similar characters of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

My invention is embodied in the implements which I have named the base-gage and the end-gage and they are shown of the form v and construction which I consider as best adapted to carry my invention into effect.

Figure 1 is a side view and Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the basegage. Fig. 3 is a transverse' sectional view of the base-gage on the line 3-3 Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an end view, Fig. 5 a side View, and Fig. 6 a top view of the endgage. Fig. 7 is a view showing a buildingblock, it being the first block laid on the foundation, the base-gage being in position with reference to the block, and in readiness for the reception of the mortar layer for the next block to be laid. Fig. 8 is a view showing a number of blocks in position on the layer of mortar and in readiness to receive, through the end-gage disposed in position for that purpose, the mortar between the ends of the blocks. Fig. 9 is a top view of a standard concrete building block.

The base-gage is composed of the rec tangular frame of metal as plainly shown in Fig. 1, preferably of steel, its sides 1 being of suitable depth as to have proper weight and rigidity, the ends 2 and 3 are slightly beveled on their inner vertical edges and are of a depth less than that of the sides so that in practice the base-gage will readily straddle the builcling block. The depth of these ends form the gage for the depth of the mortar upon which the blocks are to be laid. The end 3 is made as thin in cross section as possible consistent with proper strength and rigidity. The handle 4 is secured to the frame in an inclined position so that the gage may be lifted with facility at all times. 5 and 6 designate check-bars of a depth the same as that of the ends, removably secured by the screws 7 to the inner faces of the sides of the frame, the functions of which check-bars will be presently disclosed. These check-bars extend continuously from end to end of the frame and are of width substantially the same as their depth and are beveled slightly upon the inner vertical edges so that in the lifting of the gage, as will be hereinafter referred to, any tendency to the mortar to adhere thereto will be overcome. A

The second implement, the end-gage, is composed of an oval-shaped hopper made of thin sheet metal, its flaring sides being brought to a closure on the transverse base having therein the rectangular aperture 13 made smaller at its ends forming extension slots, and making the extreme width of the aperture identical with the width between the inner faces of the check-bars thereof. Extending downwardly from the base and formed integral therewith, are the plates 8 to which are removably secured, by suitable screws, the check bars 9.

10 designates a suitable handle secured on the side of the hopper.

The mode of the application to use of this instrument will be obvious; the device is slipped into its position as shown in Fig. 8, between the ends of the blocks, the check bars 9 filling the space between the vertical edges of the blocks, from the top to the bottom thereof. The function of these checkbars, in addition to their being guides where by the mortarechute may be brought to proper position, is to form a check or stop along the sides of the opening between the blocks whereby the mortar that is introduced between the blocks will be prevented from flowing out flush with the edges of the blocks, and a uniform and continuous recess is formed for the reception of pointing material and plastering, on the front and rear sides respectively, of the wall.

For securing removably to the base-gage, and the end-gage, the check-bars 5 and 6, and the check-bars 9, respectively, I have used ordinary machine screws with heads countersunk. Thumb-screws may be used if desired whereby the manipulation of the check-bars may be somewhat facilitated.

To assist to the clear understanding of the proper mode of the practice of my invention, reference will be had to Figs. 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings. The foundation having a level and uniform surface being in readiness,

'and'the wall lines delineated with chalk-line in the ordinary way, the mechanictakes his place inside the line of the foundation wall, then to his left, and at the left-hand end of the foundation-wall the base-gage is. laid, the check-bar 5 having been removed. The outer edges of the side and end of the basegage are set correctly upon the chalk-line marked on the foundation and the gage is held firmly in position while the mortar is placed by the mechanic on the foundation surface and within the lines of the base-gage frame, and is troweled off to uniform thickness and surface, as marked by the sides and ends of the gage. The gage is then lifted vertically and laid aside and the buildingblock 11 set in position on the layer of mortar thus provided, its outer side and end being brought carefully to alinement with the chalk-lines as marked on the foundation. The purpose of removing the check-bar 5 from the basegage while it is being used in preparing the first layer of mortar for the wall, is, that the base-gage rests with the bottom edges of its sides directly on the foundation, the outer edges of the sides and end registering with the chalk-line marked on the foundation, thus the mortar bed will be stopped short the transverse thickness of the outer side and end of the gage, thereby affording the suitable continuous recess for the application of the pointing material. The next step is to place the base-gage again on the foundation surface, its outer side being brought to alinement with the wall-line as marked on the foundation, and its end registering with the line of the endof the block 11 previously set in position, then spread and smooth the mortar bed and remove the base-gage as before stated. The next block 12 is then laid squarely on the mortar bed, its end being brought into proper position. The completion of the lay ing of the first row of buildingblocks is accomplished by simply the repetition of the operations just described. These instruments may be used from right to left, as

readily and conveniently as from left to right, and it is for that purpose that the check-b ars, are made removable on both sides of each device.

After the blocks have been laid, as just described, then the end-gage comes into use, the check-bars 9 are inserted into the space between the ends of the blocks, the plates to which they are secured retaining them properly in position. The end-gage is thus brought to rest with the aperture of the hopper directly above the space between the blocks. The mortar is then poured into the hopper through which it readily flows into and fills completely the space between the blocks, except the recesses formed by the check-bars 9. If it is desired to dispense with the recess on either the front or rear side of the wall, the one check bar 9 not necessary to be used, may be easily removed.

In the laying of the superincumbent layers or rows of building blocks, the check-bar is replaced in the base-gage. The base-gage is laid on the block on the end of the wall, to cover one half of the block, the mortar is applied and troweled smooth, as before described, and thereafter, the operation of completing the Wall is a repetition of the operations heretofore described. The width of the base-gage between the inner edges of its sides being the same as that of the blocks this gage naturally assumes correct position as the laying-up of the wall progresses and the mechanic is enabled to lay up the wall rapidly and accurately, and with the minimum amount of manipulation or handling of the blocks, implements, or mortar.

Further advantages obtained by my invention are that the continuous recesses desirable on the front side of the wall to receive the pointing material, and on the rear side of the wall to receive the plastering, are formed as the construction of the wall progresses, and are formed so uniformly correct that no hand-work thereon afterwards, is necessary.

If these recesses or either of them are not desired, then the check-bars of the base-gage and of the end-gage are removed accordingly, as heretofore described. Thus in the practice of my invention, a workman or mechanic of only ordinary skill is enabled to handle the building blocks practically and to construct well and accurately and with facility, a wall composed thereof. A uniform and dependable layer of mortar between the sides and the ends of the blocks is obtained and all loss of mortar so common in the old method of slushing it into place is prevented.

What I claim asmy invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An implement for gaging the extent of mortar between building blocks while building a wall, which implement includes frame plates adapted to fit about the face of a block, and check-bars on the inner surfaces of said plates for predetermining the extent of mortar between the blocks.

'2. An implement for gaging the extent of mortar between building blocks while building a wall, which implement includes a skeleton frame adapted to fit about the face of a block, and check-bars on two opposite inner surfaces of said frame, said bars having a thickness substantially the same as the desired space between the blocks.

3. An implement for ga ing the extent of mortar between building blocks while-building a wall, which implement includes a skeleton frame adapted to fit about the face of a block, and check-bars on two opposite surfaces of-said frame, said bars having a thick ness substantially the same as the desired space between the blocks, and a handle secured to the frame.

4. An implement for gaging the extent of mortar between building blocks while building a wall, which implement includes a skeleton frame adapted to fit about the face of a block, and removable check-bars 011 two opposite inner surfaces of said frame, said bars having a thickness substantially the same as the desired space between the blocks.

5. An implement to facilitate the construction of walls of building blocks com prising an angular frame having a handle thereon, the transverse members of the frame being of a depth less than that of the sides of the frame, check-bars removably secured to the inner faces of the sides of the frame, substantially as described.

6. An implement to facilitate the construction of walls of building-blocks, which implement includes an angular frame adapted to fit about the face of the block the said frame having an aperture therein, checkbars on the inner surfaces of said frame for pre-determining the extent of the mortar between the blocks, a handle on said frame, and a chute secured to and communicating with the aperture in said frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CLAW SON MGLAIN MADDUX, l/Vitnesses:

R. E. GoLDsTEIN,

E. V. CHARMAN 

